Chapter 1 Blood-Red

Blood-red saber light bloomed like fireworks, striking directly into the old chairman's body, while No. 2's body was also engulfed in the light.

The powerful impact sent Lin Wan'er staggering back, the shattered saber light cutting open her body, grotesque bloody marks covering her snow-white skin, creating an absurd, fragmented beauty.

As the saber light slowly dissipated, the scene before them filled everyone with despair. Such a powerful blow had failed to cut the old chairman open. The saber merely stopped at the old chairman's chest, forced to a halt.

Although the old chairman was severely wounded, he was not dead. All their efforts had once again turned to ashes. Wu, without hesitation, swung the broken saber at the old chairman's neck. He knew there would be no next chance. The team that could cooperate with him had all fallen. This was the last chance!

But this last hope was shattered the moment the saber's edge was caught in a hand. The old chairman exerted force, crushing the saber's blade. Then, he punched Wu's saber-wielding left arm, turning it into a cloud of blood mist. Wu flew backward, crashing heavily in front of Jiang Cheng, the sticky blood splattering all over his face.

The broken saber spun in the air, finally embedding itself in the ground at Jiang Cheng's feet.

Wen Zhao covered his mouth, desperately trying not to cry, but he understood. It was all over. The strongest, Wu, had fallen. There was no chance of turning the tables.

Staring blankly at Wu on the ground, Jiang Cheng finally saw despair in those eyes. Wu was also looking at him, his lips trembling. Jiang Cheng knew he wanted to tell him to go first, to cover his retreat. For a long, long time, that's how it had been. When Wu appeared, drawing his saber, all problems would be solved. But this time, it wasn't working. He saw regret in Wu's eyes. He had tried his best, used every method, but the old chairman was too strong, strong enough to crush everyone's hopes.

Countless wisps of black mist poured out from the old chairman's facial features. The black mist rose slowly, forming a huge dark cloud in the air. The dark cloud blotted out the sun, bringing immense pressure, as if the end of the world had arrived.

Within the dark cloud, even more profound black shadows surged, rolling about, accompanied by extremely distant roars. Behind this cloud seemed to be connected to another world.

Soon, under everyone's trembling gazes, black shadows descended from the sky. Jiang Cheng couldn't even distinguish what these monsters were. Some could still maintain a human form, while the majority looked like they had been haphazardly pieced together, organs exposed, covered in blood, sharp bone spurs spreading across their bodies, some with webbing between their fingers and toes.

But the pressure these monsters brought was exceptionally strong, at least on the same level as Lord Shui and Lady Dahe.

After these monsters appeared, they didn't directly attack Jiang Cheng, but scattered, delivering killing blows to the wounded scattered across the battlefield.

They didn't even spare the corpses. Jiang Cheng watched helplessly as Chen Ran's corpse was stomped on the chest by a monster, his chest cavity completely collapsing.

Li Bai had his legs broken by a monster. Number 8, guarding Fatty's side, was no match for the monster and was slapped away.

Everywhere was filled with wails and screams. Jiang Cheng stared blankly at everything, or rather, he had been blank since a long time ago. It wasn't that he hadn't done anything, he had been suppressing it, forcibly controlling himself not to think, not to believe, not to heed the voice in his heart, that power.

He didn't know what it was, nor did he dare to think about it. He only knew that the power was luring him, luring him closer, luring him to accept it.

It was a door, a forbidden door sealing a demon. He had never thought of opening it, because no one could control the power of a demon.

No, how could it be a demon? A demon was nothing in the eyes of the thing behind the door. Mortals weren't worthy to even mention its name. It was an existence that transcended all power.

The screams continued. The monsters that appeared later didn't kill anyone. They were just torturing, amplifying everyone's pain.

And the old chairman was no longer moving. He was watching, just watching, calmly watching Jiang Cheng, the only remaining milky white, cloudy eyeball filled with anticipation.

At that moment, Jiang Cheng suddenly understood. The old chairman was waiting for him, waiting for him to fall into despair and open the forbidden door in his heart. This was his ultimate goal!

What Xia Tan's resistance army, Gong Zhe and Number 1 leading the suicide squad, or even Quan Xu the old man's plan, he didn't care about any of it. He was just putting on a show with these people.

Let them taste a little sweetness, give them a little pitiful hope, and then quietly watch them do their best for it. His real purpose was only himself, the door in his heart!

He wanted the current scene, to imprison all his friends, all his attachments and bonds here, in this world, and then torture them to his heart's content, forcing himself to personally open that door in utter despair!

Otherwise, with the old chairman's strength, he wouldn't need to play with them for so long. His power was overwhelming. When he got serious, no one could withstand a single blow.

The young chairman and the Torchbearer, even the entire Night Watchman organization, were just tools he used. His goal had always been extremely pure. This was a vast plan spanning decades, and the old chairman was the sole mastermind.

Jiang Cheng didn't know the consequences of opening that door, nor did he know what benefits the old chairman would gain, but none of that mattered anymore, because he saw a monster had already raised a butcher knife, aiming at…

The situation was the same with Lin Wan'er. Another giant monster had raised its thick leg, preparing to stomp her head.

"Kill it."

"As long as it dies, your friends will be saved."

"Fatty is your brother, Lin Wan'er is your sister, they are the most important people in your life, and that Wu too, look down at him, look at what he looks like now, he will also die, if he hadn't met you, he wouldn't have ended up like this."

"It's all your fault, you killed everyone."

"You are the child of misfortune, and the root of nightmares."

Clutching his head, Jiang Cheng's expression became even more ferocious. Two lines of bloody tears streamed from his eyes. The voice in his heart was no longer patiently coaxing, but blatantly mocking. What was even more terrifying was that it was using his own voice, as if he was talking to another version of himself.

"Shut up! Shut up!!"

The composure he had been trying to maintain was instantly shattered. He staggered backward, the blackness in his pupils boiling. "If he wants to kill my friends, I'll kill him first!!"

"Creak—"

Everyone present, including the monsters, stopped at the same time. They all heard the sound of a door opening.